Bedclothes-fastener



(Ho Model.)

A. WOLF. BBDOLOTHES FASTENER.

No. 574,977. Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

the same bed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANNA IVOLF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BEDCLOTH ES-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 574,977, dated January12, 1897.

Application filed October 26, 1896. Serial N0. 610,066. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA \VoLF, a citizen of the United States, residingin Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Bedclothes-Fasteners, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings,in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing myimproved device applied to a side rail of a bed and in position toreceive the bedclothes that are to be retained in place. Fig. 2 is across-section.

My invention relates to an improved device for retaining bedclothing inproper position after such clothes have been placed, as desired, overthe occupant of the bed. It is designed, primarily, for such use uponbeds that are occupied by children or invalids, upon whom it isespecially important that the bedclothi'ng be retained properly.

The objects of the invention are to provide a cheap, simple, andeffective device for the purpose stated, that can be readily applied toand removed from a bed, and which can as readily be shifted to differentpositions on I accomplish these objects by the devices shown in thedrawings and hereinafter described in detail.

That which I believe to be new and of my invention will be set forth inthe claims.

In the drawings, a indicates the front portion of a frame, the rearportion 17 of which, when the device is in use, rests against the innerface of the side rail A of a bed. Near the upper portion of the frameabare formed shoulders c, which rest upon the upper edge of the siderail. As shown, the frame a b is continued upward for some distanceabove these shoulders 0. cl is a bar extending from side to side of theframe and secured by solder or in any other suitable manner to the upperends of said frame. This frame a b, as shown, is made froma single pieceof heavy wire bent into shape.

e is another bar. It extends from side to side of the front portion a ofthe frame, to which it is secured by loops formed in the frame throughwhich the bar passes; but it may be secured in any other suitablemanner. It is located a short distance below the shoulders c;

f indicates a handle pivoted to the frame a Z) by being loosely securedto the cross-bar c. As shown, this handle is formed of a single piece ofwire bent upon itself.

9 is a supplemental frame which may be formed from a single piece ofwire, as shown. It is loosely secured at its lower end to the handle f,so that it may move up and down 011 said handle, the manner ofattachment shown being by means of aloop it formed in the wire, whichloop surrounds the handle. The lower end of the handle is enlarged, asshown, to prevent the supplemental frame from becomin g disengagedtherefrom. The upper end of each side piece of the supplemental frame 9is, as shown, bent forward and then upward and downward, these twolatter bends forming enlarged open loops 1I,which are adapted andintended to be swung over and down upon the cross-bar d at the upper endof the frame a b.

j is a coiled spring surrounding the handle f and bearing against thelower turned and looped end 71. of the supplemental frame g and theupper turned ends of said handle.

an is a locking-piece, which may be formed, as shown, of a single pieceof wire. At its upper end is formed a hook 72, adapted to e11- gage oneof the numerous small loops 0 that are formed in the lower end of theportion Z) of the frame a b, and its lower end is turned to pass beneaththe side rail A and engage the lower end of the front portion of theframe a b. It is also suitably bent, as shown, to conform to the innersurface of said side rail A. A number of the small loops 0 are providedin order to insure a firm locking of the parts together in the mannershown and described whether the device is used upon a bed having narrowor wide side boards.

By disengaging theforwardly-projecting ends that pass beneath the siderail from the frame a b (which can be readily done) and by disengagingthe hook n from the loop 0 the frame a b and the parts attached theretocan be readily shifted to a new position on the side rail or to the siderail of another bed, and when so changed can be quickly secured in placeby connecting the two parts of the frame (the front a and back 1))together by means of the locking-piece m. This construction avoids theuse of screws or other devices, which are not only inconvenient to use,but are a damage and disfigurement to the side rail.

After the device has been adjusted and secured as stated, the securingof the bedelothes, when desired, is accomplished as follows: Thesupplemental frame 1 is thrown back and out of engagement with the bar(1. The bedelothes C are then pulled to one side toward the device untilthey are over and upon said bar (I. The supplemental frame 9 is thenswung forward and brought down with the enlarged loopst' over the barat, and as downward pressure is exerted on such supplemental frame or onthe handle f the bedclothes will be caught and tightly held between thesides of said enlarged loops 2' and the bard. As the handle and thesupplemental frame are thus pressed down the coiled spring on the handlewill be compressed, causing the upper looped portion of the supplementalframe to bear tightly on that portion of the bedelothes that has beenbrought between it and the said bar (I. The swinging of the handle andthe supplemental frame down to their lowest position brings the lowerend of said handle slightly past the point at which it is pivoted at itsupper end, thus insuring the parts remaining in their holding position.The release of the bedelothes from the device is very quicklyaccomplished, all that is necessary to be done being a slight outwardpull on the handle, which will i11- stantly relieve it from the actionof the spring. A further outward movement enables it to be disconnectedfrom the bar (Z, which leaves the bedelothes free to be pulled away.

Having the bar (I at a considerable height from the upper edge of theside rail, as is the case with my invention, is a feature ofconsiderable importance, as it will be understood that in nearly everyinstance the mattress (represented herein by B) used rises at quite aheight above such side rail, and were no provision made for securing thebedelothes at a point higher than the side rail they could not in manyinstances be effectually secured at all.

I have shown the frame a b shaped to ac cord to the shape of an ordinarywooden side rail, but it is to be understood that such shape can bevaried from sufficiently to adapt it to be employed with other shapesand makes of side rails.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In abedelothes-fastener, aframe adapted to be attached to a side railof a bed, and provided with a cross-bar at its upper end raised abovethe said side rail, in combination with a swinging supplemental frameadapted to be swung over and down upon said cross-bar, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a bedelothes-fastener, a frame adapted to be attached to a siderail of a bed, and a movable supplemental frame adapted to engage theupper end of said ii rst-named frame, in combination with alocking-piece adapted to pass under the side rail, and attached to saidfirst-named frame for holding the device as a whole in place,substantially as specified.

8. In a bedelothes-fastener, the combina tion of a frame adapted to beattached to a side rail of a bed, and consisting of a front and rearportion, said rear portion having 011 its lower end a series of loops, asupplemental movable frame adapted to engage the upper end of saidfirst-named frame, and a lockingpiece having a hook at its upper end forengaging said loops and bent to pass under the side rail, and providedwith means for attachment to the front portion of said firstnamed frame,substantially as specified.

4. In a bedelothes-fastener, the combination of a frame adapted to beattached to a side rail of a bed, a handle pivoted to the front of saidframe, a coiled spring located on said handle, a supplemental frameloosely attached to said handle, and adapted to be swung over and downupon the upper end of said first-named frame, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

5. In a bedelothes-fastener, the combination of the frame a I), havingat its upper end a cross-bar d raised above the side rail of the bed towhich the frame a his to be attached, the handle f pivoted to the frame,the supplemental frame g loosely attached to the lower end of the handleand provided with the loops '5 at its upper end for engaging thecross-bar (l and the bedelothes that are placed over said bar, and thecoiled spring j surrounding the handle f, all substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

ANNA WOLF. Witnesses:

ALBERT lI. ADAMS, JULIA M. BRISTOL.

